Visiting Korea

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escargotmycargo
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Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 7:52 am

Visiting Korea

Post by escargotmycargo »

Hi everyone!

I'm a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, and I'll be going to Korea this September (Seoul, Andong and Gyeongju) for an almost two week family trip. While I'm there, I'd like to connect with Buddhist pilgrimage places or places where I can connect with the tradition (eg. temples, monasteries, etc.).

Does anyone have recommendations of where I should go?

Thank you in advance!
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KeithA
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by KeithA »

escargotmycargo wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 6:25 pm Hi everyone!

I'm a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, and I'll be going to Korea this September (Seoul, Andong and Gyeongju) for an almost two week family trip. While I'm there, I'd like to connect with Buddhist pilgrimage places or places where I can connect with the tradition (eg. temples, monasteries, etc.).

Does anyone have recommendations of where I should go?
Thank you in advance!
Hi there!

I would start with Dale's blog. He also has a FB page, and is easy to get in touch with.

There is also a Kwan Um temple there (Mu Sang Sa), where English where will be more readily spoken.

Enjoy your trip!

_/|\_
Keith
When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

New Haven Zen Center
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Zhen Li
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by Zhen Li »

escargotmycargo wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 6:25 pm Hi everyone!

I'm a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, and I'll be going to Korea this September (Seoul, Andong and Gyeongju) for an almost two week family trip. While I'm there, I'd like to connect with Buddhist pilgrimage places or places where I can connect with the tradition (eg. temples, monasteries, etc.).

Does anyone have recommendations of where I should go?

Thank you in advance!
The blog that Keith posted looks great. I visited South Korea about four years ago and greatly enjoyed the temples. People were very friendly and welcoming. If I were to visit again, I would like to do a temple stay.

My top suggestions are (though they would require you to stay more in the Busan area):
1. Haeinsa (for this, I suggest staying over in Daegu)
2. Bulguksa and Seokguram
3. Tongdosa
4. Haedong Yonggungsa

In Seoul, naturally, the temples are smaller, but I could recommend:
1. Bongeunsa
2. Hwagyesa (very nice to combine with a hike in Bukhansan National Park as well)
3. Jogyesa (it's quite modernised but very central)
escargotmycargo
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by escargotmycargo »

Thank you both!!!!
jmlee369
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by jmlee369 »

escargotmycargo wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 6:25 pm Hi everyone!

I'm a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, and I'll be going to Korea this September (Seoul, Andong and Gyeongju) for an almost two week family trip. While I'm there, I'd like to connect with Buddhist pilgrimage places or places where I can connect with the tradition (eg. temples, monasteries, etc.).

Does anyone have recommendations of where I should go?

Thank you in advance!
In terms of your destinations, Seoul is a mixed bag. Personally I would not recommend Jogyesa, there's a lot of bad history there and it's a highly politicised site, even now. Bongeunsa has history and tradition to it but it's now a very wealthy temple and that made it a battleground for monk politics a few years ago. The "Rock-carved Seated Bodhisattva at Okcheonam Hermitage" is an old, unique Buddhist pilgrimage site for Korea. A more contemporary temple you can try is Gilsangsa, associated with one of the most respected Korean monks of the modern age and a fascinating backstory (a playground for the rich and famous converted to a temple). In nearby Incheon there is Yonghwasa, the home temple for one of the two main Seon patriarchs alive today. You can also visit Bomunsa in Incheon, one of the three main pilgrimage spots for Avalokitesvara in the country.

In Andong, probably the go to recommendation is the UNESCO World Heritage site Bongjeongsa, the temple that houses one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in Korea among other treasures.

If you're in Gyeongju it's kind of a given that you should visit Bulguksa and Seokgulam, but they are very much major tourist destinations.

I'll also echo Zhen Li's recommendations for Tongdosa and Haeinsa, they are two of the Three Jewels temples in Korea. Tongdosa is also one of the five most important temples enshrining the Buddha's relics.
Nalanda
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by Nalanda »

Khamtasiling in Seoul. However no English so not accessible for a tourists unless you can speak Korean.

Visit the best Korean temples - Haeinsa - Bulgoksa

Lot's of beautiful temples here

Try templestay too.

https://eng.templestay.com/
IF YOU PRACTICE WITH A STRONG BELIEF IN WHAT
YOU ARE DOING, THEN THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT
YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH WITH YOUR PRACTICE.

CHAKUNG JIGME WANGDRAK RINPOCHE

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ajhayes
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by ajhayes »

I was stationed near Dongducheon, Gyoggi-do and I first discovered Buddhism at Jajaeam Hermitage on Mount Soyosan. It's where Wonhyo attained enlightenment. Something is very special about that place.

It's a nice hiking area too with a pretty waterfall.
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curtstein
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by curtstein »

If you like to hike and explore then one excellent destination would be the area around Gyeryongsan National Park.

Dale Quarrington's blog, already mentioned by Keith, has some information on the three temples that are in the park:
http://koreantempleguide.com/?s=Gyeryongsan

In addition to the Buddhist temples, Gyeryongsan is also a hotbed of Shamanic activity, if you are interested in that sort of thing.

And here is the official English language page for the park:
https://english.knps.or.kr/Knp/Gyeryong ... ubmenu=Npp
"there's no one here. there's only you and me." leonard cohen
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KeithA
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by KeithA »

ajhayes wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:52 pm I was stationed near Dongducheon, Gyoggi-do and I first discovered Buddhism at Jajaeam Hermitage on Mount Soyosan. It's where Wonhyo attained enlightenment. Something is very special about that place.

It's a nice hiking area too with a pretty waterfall.
I was in the 2/503rd at Camp Hovey in the late 80's. I wish I had visited some temples when I was there. Too busy partying and goofing off. Buddhism didn't grab me until college after I got out.

_/|\_
Keith
When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without interruption - what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

New Haven Zen Center
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ajhayes
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Re: Visiting Korea

Post by ajhayes »

KeithA wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2023 5:13 pm
ajhayes wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:52 pm I was stationed near Dongducheon, Gyoggi-do and I first discovered Buddhism at Jajaeam Hermitage on Mount Soyosan. It's where Wonhyo attained enlightenment. Something is very special about that place.

It's a nice hiking area too with a pretty waterfall.
I was in the 2/503rd at Camp Hovey in the late 80's. I wish I had visited some temples when I was there. Too busy partying and goofing off. Buddhism didn't grab me until college after I got out.

_/|\_
Keith
I was certainly with you on the partying. It seems that Buddhism waits to grab people until they're ready-ish.
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